Why do we stare at the sea?

Even when no boat floats upon it and no fish can be seen, and even if the water is as smooth as a millpond, it still has the power to draw one to it.

The original name for the Pacific Ocean was ‘Peaceful Sea’ and although at times this isn’t the case, there is a certain aura of both peacefulness and power about it. It has the power to give and the power
to take away.

Below this surface that we often stare at with little thought, lay thousands of islands, volcanoes, valleys and the longest mountain range on Earth,
known as The Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Indeed, another world full of mystery, a world full of life we have yet to discover.

But we do know that the largest animal
ever to have lived on this planet, lives beneath this water we love to stare at. The Blue whale, (Balaenoptera musculus) is around 30 metres in length and weighs 170 tonnes or more. Her voice is louder than a jet and her heart is about the size of a
Volkswagen beetle, how amazing is that?

So it is no wonder we stare at this vast amount of water that covers 70% of our planet. The sheer size of
it is enough to make anyone feel in awe of it. From its gentle ripples to its tsunamis, this part of our planet will always be something to watch, to listen to, to be mindful of.

For me, standing at the water’s edge, drinking in the fresh salty air, allows me to think or to meditate and not think at all. If I’m sad, its endless murmur soothes me, but always, it revitalises my soul.

‘We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch-we are going back from whence
we came.’